Choices
by convolutedthinker
Summary: " The future belongs to those who know where they belong." "We're supposed to trust the system!" "You have to trust yourself." "Don't try to define me." When it comes down to it, who should you listen? What are you supposed to think? Do you follow the system, or do you trust your own instinct? eventual Eric/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Character Info:**

**Name: Crystal Bell (originally Christianna)**

**Born: Candor**

**Personality: Slightly shy but opens up once she's more comfortable**

** - sarcastic**

** - stubborn**

** - thinks very logically**

**Family: Mom, younger brother Danny**

** * will explain why her dad is not here during the story**

**Appearance: inspired by Xion from the Kingdom Hearts series, would probably look like an older version of her**

Chapter 1

_Beep._ I finish my jog and hit the stop button on my watch, checking my time. 3 miles in 16 minutes, not bad at all. Catching my breath, I head into the house to get ready for school.

I know, I know, I'm weird. Who goes jogging at 6:30 in the morning? But running lets me clear my head. I started after one of my Dauntless teachers recommended it, and pretty soon it became a routine. No one else knows that I do this, and hopefully it stays that way. I'm enough of an outcast here as it is already.

Shrugging on a black and white jacket, I quickly glance at myself in the mirror. I look almost identical to my mom - sky blue eyes and a somewhat childish looking face. The only difference is my black hair that I got from my dad.

Besides the physical resemblance, though, I am nothing like my parents. They are - or were, in my dad's case - model Candor members. Basically, honesty and openness will lead to a more peaceful and perfect society, and lies are what nearly destroyed society before.

Do I believe dishonesty is partially why the war happened? Yes.

But am I honest enough to be a Candor? No.

Sometimes, I can't help but wonder: was it selfishness, war, ignorance, cowardice, or all of them?

Which faction do I belong to?

Today we have our Aptitude Test, and though I am nervous, I am also relieved. Finally, I'll know where I should be.

_Knock, knock._ "Sis, Mom says breakfast is ready," my brother Danny announces, poking his head into my room.

I ruffle his hair and tell him, "Thanks kiddo. I'll be another minute, you go ahead." He nods and runs back down the stairs. Danny is only 13. He won't have to worry about all of this for a few more years, but then again, he's never had any problem being a Candor.

Taking one last look at the mirror, I finally start down the stairs and head to the kitchen.

"Morning, mom," I kiss her on the cheek and grab a plate, helping myself to some scrambled eggs and waffles. I'm not that hungry, but I know I'd be starving later if I didn't eat anything right now.

"Morning sweetheart, how are you feeling?" my mom asked, filling another plate with some eggs for herself.

I shrugged, "Okay, I guess. A little nervous." More than a little actually, but I won't say it out loud.

"Don't be. You'll do fine. Remember, just be-"

"Honest, I know," I sighed before Mom could launch into the usual speech. Quickly finishing my food, I dropped my plate into the sink, grabbed my bag, and headed for the door. "See you later, Mom."

"Bye, sweetheart!"

I run to the bus and grab a seat in the front, knowing most of my faction will congregate in the back. I won't join them, I never have. After all, I'm an outcast, and it's a lot easier for me to keep to myself.

Alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Special thanks to Ranibow2malfoy for being my first reviewer!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent, but I do own Crystal!**

Chapter 2

I sit with my faction at the Candor table, fidgeting with my hands. My factionmates are debating over something, but I tune them out. After all, I've always been the quiet one

After a few minutes or so of the chit-chatter, I close and pinch the bridge of my nose, mentally groaning. Seriously, would these people ever get tired of talking?!

I hear a chuckle, and I crack an eye open. A boy from the Erudite table is watching me in apparent amusement, and I recognize him from one of my classes. That being said, I couldn't remember his name at the moment…

An Abnegation volunteer reads off the next round of names, and I finally hear: "…and Christiana Bell."

I hurriedly get up and head out of the cafeteria for the testing rooms. In room 10, I see that my tester is an Abnegation woman. She has dark hair styled in the signature Abnegation bun and pale green eyes, and she would be really pretty if she weren't wearing so much gray.

"Hello, Christiana right? I'm Natalie," she smiles at me. "Go ahead and take a seat, I'll finish setting this up in a moment." I see a reclined chair in the center of the room, with wires connecting it to a computer. I go ahead and lean back on the chair, clenching my fists and taking a few quick breaths.

Natalie starts attaching electrodes to my forehead, and I can't help myself. "What are these for?" I interject, gesturing toward the wires. If I'm going to be hooked up to a machine, I at least want to know what it does!

"That's the first thing I've seen you say," she laughs gently. "Not a very talkative Candor, are you?" My cheeks flush slightly and I don't answer. "I wish I could tell you, but I'm not allowed to. Drink this, please," she hands me a vial of clear liquid. Nodding, I take it and gulp it down. My eyes flutter shut.

I open my eyes, and I see that I am now in the school cafeteria. Glancing around, I see two baskets on a table in front of me. One contains a long knife and the other contains a block of cheese.

Suddenly, a woman's voice says, "Choose." I start and look around, but there is no one there. _It must be embedded into the simulation_, I realize.

_A test like this can't be too complicated...so maybe they're trying to knock out factions one at a time. Well, then the knife would be Dauntless…not sure what the cheese is…_

"CHOOSE!" the voice screeches this time, and I jump. _Okay, okay, sheesh woman…_ I shrug and pick up the knife.

The baskets disappear, and I hear a door open behind me. Turning around, I see a dog growling at me, and I feel immensely thankful that I grabbed the knife.

I keep still and watch the dog warily. _No reason to attack it if it doesn't do anything to me. _ A few seconds later, though, I notice that a little boy has appeared behind the dog. He claps his hands excitedly and exclaims, "Doggy!" Snarling, the dog turns toward him and coils, getting ready to attack.

I scream, "No!" and instinctively throw the knife at the dog. Suddenly, I'm plunged into darkness, and when I blink, I find myself on a bus.

Grabbing on to a pole to steady myself, I notice a man sitting near me. He's tightly gripping a newspaper, and I try to sneak a peek at whatever he's so interested in.

He sees me looking and asks, "Do you know this guy?" The paper is shoved in my face and I carefully look over the man in the picture. Oddly enough, I feel like I recognize him, and my eyes flick to the headline. "_Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended_!"

My stomach twists. For some reason, I really, REALLY don't want to say that yes, I recognize the guy in the picture.

I shake my head and say," No idea." He stands and gets in my face, but I stand my ground and glare back at him.

"Liar! _LIAR!_ Tell me the truth!" The Candor in me screams, "_SAY IT!" _

But I just repeat:

"I have no idea."

**Reviews are appreciated :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everyone who favorited, reviewed, or is following my story :)**

**Disclaimer: Am I Veronica Roth? No, I am not, so I don't own Divergent. I do own Crystal though!**

Chapter 3

My eyes fly open and I sit up quickly, gasping. I rub my temples, trying to erase the last image from the simulation, but I still see that man's furious expression.

_I lied to him. I lied to him. Mom would be so disappointed…._

Natalie removes the wires, and I blurt out, "Did I do okay?" Natalie looks surprised for a moment but then shakes her head and gives me a gentle smile.

"You did fine, your result was Dauntless." Relief sweeps through me.

I had a faction!

"However, I want to ask…" She lowers her voice. "You took your time making some of your choices. Are you happy with this result?"

_What? Why is she even asking me that? Before, I didn't have any idea where I was supposed to be! _I meet her eyes.

"Thanks for your concern…but yeah, I am,"I answer, shooting her a hesitant grin. She smiles back at me.

"Well then, you're free to go. Just wait at your table; most of your classmates have taken their tests already so you should be able to leave soon. " I thank her and hurry outside, breathing a sigh of relief.

_Well, I have a faction…but still, I should probably think about this. I can't just ditch Mom and Danny…_

I'm on my way back to the cafeteria when I see another person leaving their testing room. Looking closer, I realize it's the guy who was laughing at me earlier, and I scowl involuntarily.

He sees me looking and smirks. "Something you need, Candor?"

"Right, I really need something from a stuck-up smartass," I scoff, spinning on my heel and striding away. Yeah, not a smart move. He grabs my arm and pulls me back to face him.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you are?" he hisses. If only he had left it alone… now I'm just PISSED. I glare right back at him.

"Let. Go. Of. Me. Who do you think YOU are? Get out of my face," I growl, wrenching my arm out of his grip. This time, he lets me go, but I can still feel his eyes on me.

I get back to the cafeteria and sit down next to my faction mate Seamus, who gives me a friendly smile. He's always been more polite to me than some of the other Candors. "Hey Christiana, did your test go okay?"

I nod and reply, "Yeah, you?"

"Yeah. But you look kind of upset, what happened?" I grimace and shake my head.

"Uh, I was arguing with an Erudite just now..." Seamus raises an eyebrow in bemusement.

"What did they do?" I shoot him an exasperated look. _Seriously?_ "Never mind, that was a stupid question."

I shake my head, "That was a few years ago, don't worry about it." Our conversation ends as an Erudite woman comes in and lets us know that we're free to leave, and I immediately jump up.

"Well, see you tomorrow," Seamus says. "Good luck wherever you end up!" I nod at him and head for the door.

As I head out, I notice a tall Abnegation boy slip out a side door. Odd. Usually the Abnegation wait until everyone else is gone to leave…I shrug and decide to forget about it. A more pressing thought has just occurred to me, and a pit forms in my stomach.

_Well now, what am I going to do?_

**_Review please :)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**Not entirely happy with this chapter, but here it is...let me know what you think of it!**

Chapter 4

I lie face up on my bed, staring at the ceiling. It's already been a couple hours since I heard my results, but my mind's still in turmoil.

_Dammit, what do I do?! I don't know if I can leave…but I don't belong here…_

Someone knocks on the door, and sitting up, I sigh, "It's open." My mom walks into the room, and I blink in surprise. "Oh, hey mom. You're back already?"

"What do you mean, already? It's seven, Christiana." _Oops. _Mom gives me a searching look, before sitting down on my bed and motioning for me to scoot closer.

"Sweetheart…are your test results bothering you?" I bite my lip and avert my eyes, but Mom gently turns my face back toward her.

"I know I can't tell you what to do, but listen to me - think about yourself for once. I did the same when I was your age."

I stare at her in astonishment. _Was Mom a transfer? Mom, who is everything a Candor should be?_

_Why is she telling me this now?_

She pulls me into her arms, and I hastily return the gesture.

"I'll love you no matter what you choose, don't forget that," she tells me gently, kissing my forehead. "Get some rest, okay?" I nod slowly and she leaves. I flop back on the bed and groan.

_Okay then…well that helped a ton…not._

My classmates and I settle into the Hub, arranging ourselves by reverse alphabetical order.I peer at the innermost of the room, where the faction bowls have been set up. This year, Dauntless is responsible for conducting the Choosing Ceremony, and I watch their council representative Max take the stage.

Dauntless… the faction I had an aptitude for. Will I choose them or stay in Candor?

Max ignores the microphone and begins his speech. "Welcome to the Choosing Ceremony. Today you will choose your factions. Until this point you have followed your parents' paths, your parents' rules. Today you will find your own path, make your own rules."

"A long time ago our ancestors realized that each of us, each individual, was responsible for the evil that exists in the world. But they didn't agree on exactly what that evil was. Some said that it was dishonesty; some said that it was ignorance, some aggression; some said selfishness was the cause, and the last group said that it was cowardice that was to blame." There are a few hoots of agreement from the Dauntless section, and my lips twitch, fighting a smile.

I've never been completely honest, no matter how hard I try. But can I be fearless?

"That is how we came by our factions: Candor, Erudite, Amity, Abnegation, and Dauntless. In them we find administrators and teachers and counselors and leaders and protectors. In them we find our sense of belonging, our sense of community, our very lives." He clears his throat and continues, "Enough of that. Let's get to it. Come forward and get your knife, then make your choice. First up, Zellner, Gregory."

I watch my classmates walk to the center of the room, but I'm too lost in thought to notice any of them…

…that is, until I hear some extremely loud cheering from the Dauntless section. I see that a tall Abnegation boy has spilled his blood onto the coals, and I blink in surprise. _Oh, the boy from yesterday…well, he definitely didn't seem like an Abnegation._

"Bell, Christiana."

I stand up, my hands shaking, and I make my way to the bowls. My eyes sweep over all of them, even though I already know which 2 I'm deciding between.

Candor? Or Dauntless? Which one?

I could stay here. I could stay for Mom and Danny.

But then I would be lying to myself. And Candors never lie.

Max hands me a knife, and I slice into my palm without hesitation. My hand moves forward, and my blood sizzles away into smoke.

_Dauntless, here I come._

**Reviews are appreciated :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry about the wait guys! I've been super busy lately, this year needs to be OVER. Well, enjoy!**

Chapter 5

I make my way to the Dauntless crowd, my hands trembling slightly. My eyes find my mom in the crowd, and I'm hoping that I won't see disappointment. I'm pleasantly surprised - my mom is smiling, and when our eyes meet, she nods. Almost as if she's approving my decision.

_Sorry Mom…Danny…but I can't lie to myself this time!_

With that, I turn and run after my fellow initiates. I watch the front of the pack and realize, _We're headed for the tracks…wait, are we jumping on the train?!_

The train speeds toward us, horn blaring, and the Dauntless-born start climbing in. I quickly copy them and grab onto a door handle, but I struggle to pull myself up. Luckily, someone's hand latches onto my arm and helps me inside.

"Thanks," I mutter, looking up at my savior, and I notice that it's the Abnegation boy from yesterday. _Huh…guess I wasn't the only outcast…_

Looking around, I finally notice that I'm in a car with mostly Dauntless-born initiates. I see the Abnegation boy talking to some older Dauntless, and one of them - a male - notices me looking. "Hey, Candor! What's your name?"

I start to answer but stop and think, C_hristiana is a mouthful…how about…_"Crystal." He nods and turns back to his original conversation, and I sigh. _Now I've really left everything behind._

The train whizzes around a couple skyscrapers, getting higher and higher. I watch in awe - I've never been this high up before - then I notice the Abnegation boy shrinking away from the door, clearly terrified.

"You okay?" I ask him quietly, trying not to draw anyone else's attention. He scowls at me and nods quickly. _Maybe he's got motion sickness? _ I shrug and decide to leave him alone.

The Dauntless man from before nudges me with his foot. "Get up, Stiff. You too, Candor. It's almost time to jump."

"Jump?" we ask simultaneously. _Why the hell are we jumping?! Do they intend to kill us before we even get there?!_

"Yeah, the train stops for no one," he answers casually, smirking. I immediately get up and poke my head out the door. Behind me, the Dauntless woman shouts something, but I'm too captivated by what I see outside. The Dauntless-born initiates have begun jumping out of the train onto the roof of a nearby building, and it looks like it'll be my turn soon.

"Whoa, come back from the edge a bit. Best to get a running start," the woman comments, pulling me back a few steps.

I scowl at her, "Obviously. You think I'm stupid or something?" She raises an eyebrow at me, and I backtrack immediately. "Sorry, that was rude."

"It's fine. Crystal, right? I'm Tori. Get ready, we're jumping soon," she jerks her head toward the door, and I nod and back up a few more paces. "One, two, THREE!"

I push off as hard as I can, and for a moment I'm suspended in space. The next moment I slam into concrete, my knee scraping on the rock. My head is spinning madly, but I realize, _I made it. _I start laughing, both from relief and exhilaration.

Through the ringing in my ears, I hear Amar shout, and I glance up and see that he's stepped onto a ledge and is standing over us. "Welcome to Dauntless! Where you either face your fears and try not to die in the process, or you leave a coward. We've got a record low of faction transfers this year, unsurprisingly." I roll my eyes. _Hello, you have a transfer right here…_

"The only way to get into the Dauntless compound from this rooftop is to jump off this ledge," Amar continues, indicating the empty space behind him. My mouth twitches upward in amusement - the Dauntless really loved to jump, didn't they?

"As usual, I offer the opportunity to go first to our initiates, Dauntless-born or not." One of the Dauntless-born immediately moves forward, and I watch carefully. The boy attempts to jump on the ledge but stumbles instead, falling over the ledge with a yell. I gape in shock, but then I notice his friends are just laughing. _Oookay, I guess I overreacted._

The other initiates start lining up, and I hurry to join them. Amar cues to me to get on the ledge, and I peer down. All I see is black space, and for a moment the rational part of me screams to back away as fast as possible. My curiosity quickly overwhelms my hesitation though, and I climb up.

I take a deep breath and count to three - then I leap.

_Well, here goes nothing!_

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